They returned to the Purple Cloud Palace without incident.
The moment they arrived, Hongjun immediately shut the palace gates and sent the two attendants off to the rear courtyard.
The Three Pure Ones and Nüwa tacitly each took a corner, surrounding Qing Xuanzi.
Nüwa took out the Red Embroidered Ball. "If you still refuse to explain yourself, have a taste of this first."
Qing Xuanzi looked at the Red Embroidered Ball flashing with red light and shrank his neck.
Were these people seriously planning to beat him up?
"Um, Senior Sister Nüwa, put that terrifying ball down before we talk. The way you're holding it like you're about to play ball is terrifying."
"Keep running your mouth. Senior Brothers, hold him down and watch me beat him to death."
"No, no! Senior Brothers, I'll talk. I'll talk, all right?"
Hongjun looked at the Saints brawling beneath the platform and felt a peculiar emotion stir within him.
How long had it been since he had felt this atmosphere?
It seemed to have been a very, very long time.
Qing Xuanzi ultimately surrendered and signed the humiliating Purple Cloud Palace Treaty.
He clearly explained his purpose in heading into the chaos.
"Quick, let me see it." Hongjun had been worrying over this as well. Qing Xuanzi would surely share the Mixed Origin Method.
He had been fretting over how to quickly cultivate to the Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
Unexpectedly, this thoughtful little disciple had considered it first and even provided a solution outright.
"Here. Sit in a row and share the fruit. One piece each; everyone gets one. I've also imprinted the Mixed Origin Method onto them."
"Taiji Congenital Skill? A fine cultivation method." Hongjun was the first to probe it with his primordial spirit. Having read only the opening, he determined that it was a supreme cultivation method.
A supreme cultivation method that led directly to the Grand Ultimate.
The Taiji Congenital Skill was a cultivation method Qing Xuanzi had organized long ago.
The difference between it and the Five Grand Primordial Arts was that it could be cultivated without the Human Race's Congenital Dao Body.
Of course, it was the best fit for Humans to cultivate.
"Master, Senior Brothers, there are crucial parts of this Taiji Congenital Skill that require a Human Race Dao Body. I've annotated the solution beside them."
"Wonderful! This method of handling it is exceptionally ingenious. Qing Xuanzi, it seems your attainments are the highest among us."
Laozi was somewhat convinced. Any fixed cultivation method could be passed on by anyone who had mastered it.
The difficult part was devising different cultivation paths according to different foundations.
That was somewhat unbelievable.
To achieve that, Qing Xuanzi's understanding of the Dao could only be said to have far surpassed theirs.
"Hehe, Senior Brother Laozi, I'm actually quite interested in the Dao of pills, artifacts, and formations."
Qing Xuanzi shamelessly said it aloud. He was openly asking for them.
The Three Pure Ones' Dao of pills, artifacts, and formations came from the great god Pangu, so they were naturally of the highest caliber.
Qing Xuanzi had coveted them for a long time and had long been racking his brains over how to obtain them.
It was rare to have such a good opportunity today. If he did not ask openly now, then when would he?
"I only have the Dao of pills. Take it." Laozi took out a jade stone and tossed it to Qing Xuanzi as though he were throwing away trash.
Before Qing Xuanzi could even turn his head, two more jade stones flew over on their own.
"Take them, take them. Save me from feeling like I owe you tens of millions." That was Tongtian.
Yuanshi did not say a word. He sat cross-legged, not wasting a single moment.
"It seems none of you intend to leave. Cultivate here, then. Qing Xuanzi, the outside is up to you."
Hongjun closed his eyes as well. After leaving behind those words, he kicked Qing Xuanzi out.
Two items followed close behind.
"You are now the Elucidating Sect's Deputy Sect Leader. This is the Jade Ruyi. When your martial nephews see it, they will naturally understand."
"Hehe, Junior Brother Qing Xuanzi, take charge of the Intercepting Sect as well. This is the Qingping Sword."
Qing Xuanzi: ...
Qing Xuanzi returned to the Human Race Dao Palace in low spirits.
Damn it, anyone would be depressed if they suddenly gained several thousand mouths waiting to be fed.
He had merely gone to the Purple Cloud Palace, yet in the blink of an eye, he had become the Three Teachings Deputy Sect Leader.
If the sect leaders had still been around, he would have been more than willing.
But the sect leaders had decided to stop working, so it was his turn to be depressed.
When Qing Xuanzi returned, he discovered that he had been too naive. Something even more depressing awaited him.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle."
A vast sea of people stood before him, all disciples of the Elucidating Sect and the Intercepting Sect.
The veins on Qing Xuanzi's forehead throbbed. Damn it, this had clearly been planned long ago.
Otherwise, with this bunch of weaklings, it would have taken at least three to five hundred years for them to get here.
Well, Cihang did not count. She was currently the only Great Luo Golden Immortal among the Three Sects Disciples.
She could probably arrive here in the time it took to burn a stick of incense.
That was precisely why the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm was considered a dividing line in cultivation.
Only upon reaching the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm could one be said to have entered the path of Dao.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Your masters want to be lazy and dumped all you weaklings on me. My Dao Palace does not have enough room for you to cultivate. Go back and wait."
With a sweep of his hand, not a single disciple from the Elucidating Sect or Intercepting Sect remained. They all returned to where they belonged.
"Xuan Du, while Senior Brother Laozi is away, you should go to the Jade Void Palace as well."
With another wave of Qing Xuanzi's hand, Xuan Du vanished too.
After pondering for a while, Qing Xuanzi flew into the starry sky and sat down cross-legged.
The Star Demon God and Lu Ya would not die so easily. Even Yang Mei might not have died.
After all, even Pangu's many strikes with the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe had failed to send them completely to their graves.
Qing Xuanzi knew that his own abilities could not compare to those of the great god Pangu.
The plan still had to be carried out.
Following their agreement, he began refining the stars.
Even so, these were merely incarnations; his true body remained hidden away.
With this, the situation changed.
Originally, Qing Xuanzi had been in the open while the Heavenly Dao had been in the shadows.
Now Qing Xuanzi made a splendid turn and hid in the shadows as well. Turning the enemy's scheme against them was the advantage of this.
Qing Xuanzi's true body arrived at the Jade Void Palace.
The disciples Qing Xuanzi had sent back were all bewildered.
Their masters had sent them to the Human Race Dao Palace, saying they were to cultivate there for one hundred thousand years.
Yet Qing Xuanzi had immediately sent them back. What was going on?
"Eldest Senior Brother, do you think Master and Martial Uncle..."
"Huang Long, don't talk nonsense. How can you presume to guess at a Saint's actions?"
Guangchengzi immediately cut off Huang Long's words. Damn it, did Huang Long have a death wish?
Daring to gossip about Saints behind their backs? Huang Long might be tired of living, but Guangchengzi had not lived long enough.
"Eldest Senior Brother, no matter what, we need to come up with a plan now," Taiyi Zhenren said.
"What plan? Didn't Martial Uncle say so? Come back and wait. If he tells you to wait, then wait."
Guangchengzi was thoroughly fed up as well. He was the eldest senior brother, yet his cultivation was lower than that of one of his junior sisters.
Damn it, and all these junior brothers were still shouting so cheerfully. It was enough to worry an immortal to death.
Seeing Guangchengzi acting as if he had swallowed gunpowder, snapping at everyone he caught, the others silently sat down cross-legged.
Seeing that there was no more show to watch, Qing Xuanzi revealed himself.
Cihang had the highest cultivation. She instantly sensed someone on the high platform, though she did not know when he had appeared.
She opened her eyes and, upon seeing Qing Xuanzi, hurriedly called out, "Greetings, Deputy Sect Leader Martial Uncle."
Good grief, the moment Cihang called out, those who had not yet opened their eyes followed suit and shouted as well.
Before you continue